Bellissima Northern Italy

•   19 meals (10 breakfasts, 3 lunches & 6 dinners), service charges, gratuities to local guides, admission fees, taxes and porterage

Day 1: Benvenuti a Milano!
A transfer is included from Milan's Malpensa Airport to Grand Hotel et de Milan. Please join us to meet your Tauck Director and your fellow travelers at a welcome cocktail reception followed by dinner this evening.
Overnight: Grand Hotel et de Milan, Italy
Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2: Artful inspirations in Milan
This morning will be a special treat for aficionados of religious art masterpieces... or The Da Vinci Code. Visit the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie to take in Leonardo da Vinci's mural The Last Supper, which he painted on the refectory wall at the request of his patron, Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan. With dimensions of 15 by 29 feet, this beloved mural covers the entire large wall. Continue on to magnificent Castello Sforzesco which houses Michelangelo's last unfinished masterwork, the Rondanini Pieta. Later, admire the Duomo, the great Cathedral of Milan, a striking example of Gothic architecture, and the impressive Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. After a walking tour of the city center, the rest of the day is free to explore what interests you most on your own.
Overnight: Grand Hotel et de Milan, Italy
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 3: Lovely Lake Como and Bellagio
It’s said to be Italy's most beautiful lake, and you’ll understand why it entrances celebrities, aristocrats and jetsetters when you see Lake Como for yourself today. In Tremezzo, discover Villa Carlotta, known for its lovely setting and splendid 17th-century gardens decorated with sculptures, stairways and fountains. A private cruise across the lake to Bellagio reveals the grand villas of the rich and famous. After lunch on your own, board another private boat for a cruise to Como en route to your Belle Époque hotel on Lake Maggiore.
Overnight: Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées, Lake Maggiore, Italy
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 4: Baroque Isola Bella
Your northern Italy vacation continues as you travel by boat to Isola Bella on Lake Maggiore and the exquisite Borromeo Palace on the tiny, private island. Count Vataliano Borromeo began the construction of this opulent Baroque palace and its splendid gardens in 1632. A tour of the ornate family home showcases priceless works of art, tapestries and furniture in an elegant and sumptuous setting. Later, after a walking tour of lovely Stresa, the afternoon and evening are free to enjoy as you please.
Overnight: Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées, Lake Maggiore, Italy
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 5: Across the countryside to Bergamo and Verona
Today's travels take you across lush rural landscapes to ancient Bergamo, where you'll explore its walled medieval center – straight out of a storybook illustration – with a local guide; visit the Piazza Vecchia, the 12th-century Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, and the Cappella Colleoni. After a wine tasting and tasty lunch at an agriturismo in Brescia, in the Franciacorta region, your northern Italy vacation continues to Verona, land of Romeo and Juliet.
Overnight: Due Torri Hotel Baglioni, Verona, Italy
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 6: Verona variety
Verona is probably best known as the home of Shakespeare's tragic lovers, Romeo and Juliet… and of The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Valentine and Proteus. But, Verona is so much more. In honor of its many historical buildings, Verona has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is famous for its Roman amphitheatre, the third largest after the Colosseum in Rome and still used for operas and other cultural entertainment, and other buildings that have survived since Roman times. A walking tour this morning reveals the many charms of the city; the afternoon and evening are free to continue your explorations on your own.
Overnight: Due Torri Hotel Baglioni, Verona, Italy
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 7: A different taste of Italy
Journey this morning to Mantua, birthplace of the poet Virgil, and once the site of one of the greatest Renaissance courts in Europe. Tour the impressive Ducal Palace, the former stronghold of the powerful Gonzaga family, and admire grand rooms and stunning frescoes dating from the 13th through the 18th centuries. Visit the 14th-century fortress of Castello San Giorgio to view its impressive art collection. In Spilamberto, a visit to a local museum reveals how authentic Balsamic vinegar is produced, complete with a tasting that will be an interesting memory of your northern Italy vacation. Arrive in Bologna for a two-night stay at the Grand Hotel Baglioni.
Overnight: Grand Hotel Baglioni, Bologna, Italy
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 8: Bountiful Bologna
Surrounded by hills, the dusky red buildings, marbled-floored ancient porticoes and wide piazzas contribute to the distinctly Renaissance feel in the center of Bologna. Home of the world's oldest university, the Alma Mater Studiorum, founded in 1088, notable scholars such as Dante, Boccaccio and Petraca once walked its streets. A walking tour this morning reveals sights that they may well have seen centuries ago. After time to explore and lunch on your own, learn the secrets of Bologna's cuisine in a cooking class from a master chef prior to dinner... where you'll savor the delicious results of what you've learned!
Overnight: Grand Hotel Baglioni, Bologna, Italy
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 9: Vibrant Venice
Travel on to Venice today, one of the world's most enchanting cities. Guided sightseeing includes the famous Piazza San Marco, impressive St. Mark's Basilica and the Doges' Palace, official residence of Venetian rulers in the Middle Ages, where you'll learn how the "bridge of sighs" got its name. Then, sit back and relax as a gondolier propels your gondola through the canals, complete with a serenade. It's an experience that you'll long remember. Your home in Venice is the magnificent Hotel Gritti Palace on the Grand Canal; it was built in 1525 as the palatial residence of the then-Doge Andrea Gritti.
Overnight: Hotel Gritti Palace, Venice, Italy
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch

Day 10: More Venetian delights as you please
Awaken in intriguing Venice, one of the world's most beloved cities, today and indulge in all things Venetian just as you choose. You might begin your day enjoying a coffee in Piazza San Marco, referred to by Alfred de Musset as "the drawing room of Europe." Here in the city where streets are paved with water, the sound of human voices replaces the traffic noise so common in the other great cities of Europe as pedestrians (and pigeons) flock to this central gathering place for Venetians. Perhaps you'll choose to see the magnificent view of the city from the top of St. Mark's bell tower, stroll over to the Rialto Bridge, take in some of the city’s excellent museums or shop for distinctive Venetian souvenirs such as the traditional Carnival masks and colorful Venetian glass. Or, just follow your nose and see where the tiny streets might take you. Then, join us as we celebrate the end of a splendid northern Italy vacation with our farewell cocktail reception and dinner this evening.
Overnight: Hotel Gritti Palace, Venice, Italy
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 11: Homeward bound
Tour ends: Venice. Fly home anytime. Your northern Italy vacation comes to an end with an included transfer from the Hotel Gritti Palace to Venice's Marco Polo International Airport. Please allow 2 1/2 hours for airport check-in formalities. We wish you a safe and pleasant journey home.
Overnight:
Meals Included: Breakfast

Don't miss our current specials: Tauck Tour Deals Traveling with a group of friends or family can add to the joy of any journey. Book a group of 10 on any Tauck land journey or cruise and the 11th guest travels FREE. Book a group of 8 on any Tauck Bridges family adventure and the 9th guest travels FREE Tauck Single Specials For those seeking singles tours, we are pleased to offer special values on select departures to our guests who choose to travel solo. You can travel with peace of mind, knowing that you are among like-minded travelers and will have all the day-to-day details handled for you! While everyone is welcome, on these select dates we offer special arrangements to those traveling solo at a reduced cost. Tauck Single Specials in North America Best of the Canadian Rockies Michigan's Lakes & Mackinac Island Charleston/Savannah Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia San Fransisco, Sonoma & Napa Valleys Tauck Single Specials in Europe A Week in Ireland A Week in Spain Mediterranean Discovery Istanbul and the Black Sea Treasure of the Mediterranean Cruising Mediterranean Shores The Blue Danube Holland Belgium in Spring Strasbourg to Prague Serenade The Rhine and Moselle Budapest to Amsterdam by Riverboat Budapest to the Black Sea Classic Italy Bellissima Northern Italy Italian Lakes, Venice, Florence and Rome A Week in Paris and Provence Tauck Singles Specials in Latin America Panama Canal & Costa Rica
Touring Date	Land Only	Land + Air	Single (Land Only)	Single (Land + Air)
8/7/2010 - 8/18/2010	$4,990
8/21/2010 - 9/1/2010	$4,990
9/4/2010 - 9/15/2010	$4,990
9/11/2010 - 9/22/2010	$4,990
9/18/2010 - 9/29/2010	$4,990
9/25/2010 - 10/6/2010	$4,990
10/2/2010 - 10/13/2010	$4,990
10/16/2010 - 10/27/2010	$4,990
Airfare Disclaimer A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation. If you would like to check for discounted fares on Guaranteed Departures or for competitive pricing on air and hotel packages, we invite you to follow this link. Documents TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date.

Milan ~ Lake Como ~ Lake Maggiore ~ Verona ~ Mantua ~ Bologna ~ Venice

Tauck Tour Deals

Tauck Single Specials

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